Too Late
by slagheapwhore
Summary: Katniss was never one for relationships. Her secret relationship with Peeta ended badly. She realized too late that she was in love with him. Will her plan work or will it be too late? Was a one-shot but have decided to continue.


**Too Late**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hunger Games. That belongs to the brilliance that is Suzanne Collins. Just borrowing some of the characters. I am not profiting in any way from this little piece of work.**

_**Katniss**_

The champagne is flowing like water. Anyone who's anybody is here. I hate these boring society balls. The most elite of Chicago society is here in their penguin suits and cocktail dresses prancing around this fancy overdone mansion. My eyes scan the room searching for the man I came here for. I'm waiting for him. I'm always waiting for him. I spot Mayor Undersee talking to my date. No, he's not the one I'm searching for. He's just the little pawn I used to get here. If Mayor Undersee is here then I know his little whore of a daughter, Madge will be here too. And so will the object of my affections that happens to be dating said whore.

Peeta Mellark.

My eyes scan the large room again. Hoping to find his pretty little blonde head. I'm getting restless. I've been here for almost an hour now and still no sign of him. Where the hell is he? My eyes lock with the dull blue eyes of my date who smirks at me in return. Ugh! He's trying to give me what I assume to be smoldering eyes and starts walking in my direction.

I grab a flute of champagne from a passing waiter to keep my hands occupied. Don't want to have to do some unnecessary touching.

"Not much for socializing are we?" he breathes out in what I think is supposed to be a seductive manner and places his hand on my hip. I flinch at his touch. He smirks, thinking it's out of pleasure. Seneca Crane makes my skin crawl. I manage a half smile. "Finding the crowd a little boring for your taste?"

"Actually I find the crowd rather spectacular now that you mention it," I say as I glance over his shoulder at the couple that just walked in. I now have a smirk of my own.

_Peeta_

Madge leads me to her father as soon as we enter the ballroom. Not long after I can already feel her eyes on me. The heat of her gaze is always on me when we're in the same area. I shouldn't be surprised she's found me so soon. I should be used to it by now. Though I don't know why she does this. She's the one that ended it. Yet she still likes to play these games with me. I hate it. I told myself that it would not happen again. I refuse to acknowledge her.

"Madge my love," Mayor Undersee gushes at his daughter as she reaches up and places a kiss on his cheek.

"Daddy! So sorry we're late. You know me," she flashes him a wide smile taking a look around the ballroom no doubt searching for her friends.

"Peeta," he nods his head as we shake hands.

"Mayor Undersee."

The heat of her stare is getting, if possible, stronger and it's getting very hard not to look in her direction. "Oh look, Katniss is here Peeta! And is that Seneca Crane she's with?" Madge explains.

What the hell? My head turns in her direction so fast I think I may get whiplash. I can't help the astonished look on my face as I finally see her. God she's breathtaking! The dark blue dress hugs her curves in all the right spots and leaves little to the imagination. I wouldn't expect anything else from her.

Madge grabs my hand. "Let's go say hi," she says enthusiastically. There's nothing I can do but reluctantly be dragged in her direction. You see no one knew about Katniss and I. Something that was in no way my decision.

Anyone who knows Katniss knows that relationships are not her thing and they never have been.

_Katniss_

I see her grab his hand as they head in our direction. I smirk. Perfect.

"Katniss! It's so good to see you," Madge practically screams as she hugs me like we're age old pals. I hug her back stiffly. We were friends. Until I learned she was showing up with him to these god forsaken parties. That's when I made my plan. To show up with Seneca Crane, my boss. Peeta never liked Seneca. He always said he was a womanizer who slept with anything that had legs.

I look at Peeta as we pull away from our hug. I can tell by the look on his face that he's slowly becoming angry. "Peeta! It's been so long. How are you?" I ask sweetly. Too sweetly.

His gives me a stiff smile." I'm well thank you." He turns to Seneca. "Mr. Crane. It's good to see you again."

They shake hands. "Oh Peeta call me Seneca, there's no need for formalities anymore. You no longer work for me." Peeta had started working for Seneca a few years after I had. That's how we spent most of our time together. Secret work relationship.

He still has the tight smile on his face and nods to Seneca. Seneca looks like he wants to say something but I start before he does. "Well, it was good to see the two of you, but my date hasn't given me the dance he's promised me tonight, so if you'll excuse us."

Madge smiles knowingly. "Peeta, why don't we have a dance as well."

Peeta turns to Madge with a smile of his own, "Sure."

They head to the dance floor before me and Seneca. I scowl as they pass us.

We've been dancing for a while and I cannot keep my eyes off of them. Peeta's head turns our way more than once and I make a point to dance closer to Seneca when he does. He doesn't disappoint. He has an angry expression when he sees this. I may have gone too far when the last time he looks I just so happened to lower Seneca's hand down very close to my ass. Now I know he's angry.

Seneca spots a very important official and excuses himself so I take the opportunity to distance myself by going to the restroom. I try to leave inconspicuously but I know he'll follow me. He always does. Perfect.

_Peeta_

She knows I'm following her as soon as we step out of the ballroom. She heads to the bathroom as quick as her feet can carry her without actually running. I quicken my pace and grab her by the arm before she can make her escape.

"Peeta!" She cries as I drag her down a long hall to find an unlocked door. I finally find one a few doors down and practically throw her in. She almost loses her balance as I walk in and slam the door behind me. We're standing in a study of sorts. For the first time tonight she looks frightened.

"Seneca Crane, Katniss. Really?" My voice is low, but full of anger.

"Madge Undersee, Peeta. Really?" She fires back.

I glare at her and grab her by the arms pushing her against the wall by the door I just closed. "Don't mock me," I say harshly. "I never pegged you for sleeping with the boss. That's pretty low. Even for you."

"Is that what you really think of me? That I would stoop so low just to get to the top?" she asks. I'm still glaring at her before I register the hurt in her eyes. Before I can even attempt to apologize for my insinuation she says something that gets me makes my blood boil. "Well...I'm not always on top."

I see red.

_Katniss_

That may have been pushing it a little. As soon as the words leave my mouth I know I'm in for it. He presses me so hard against the wall it's almost hard to breathe. It takes me a moment to realize he's not using his hands anymore, but his body. And when I realize this, I find it hard to breath for a whole different reason.

The blues of his eyes are staring so intently into my grey ones that I can't help but moan. His face is so close to mine all I'd have to do is lean forward and our lips would be touching.

"So I take it you don't mind being on top is that it?" his voice coming out in a husky whisper. "Or maybe he takes you how I have you now? Up against a wall... in his office... probably not too different than this one we're in now."

My breath is coming out ragged as he presses into me further. His hands that are resting in my hips begin to slowly move up my body. One hand comes to my breast and the other wraps around me to bring me closer. My nipples harden and it's soon very clear that I'm not wearing a bra. I can practically feel the growl deep his throat that begs to be released. He kneads my breast, tweaking the nipple. My eyes close and my head falls to the side trying to suppress a moan, but failing miserably. Taking advantage of my exposed neck he waste no time placing light kisses against the skin he knows is so sensitive.

"You like that? Is that what he does to you?"

I can already feel the wetness between my legs start to drip. Oh how I've missed him. "Yes!" I say. Before I know what's happened I'm flipped around, my hands automatically press against the wall as I try to brace myself.

He's angry again. I realize too late that he thinks I answered his last question instead of the first one.

He's reaching around me to cup my mound. I don't stop the animalistic sound that comes out of my mouth. "Does he touch you here?" All I can do is whimper. His hand goes back to my breast as the other one drags the hem of my dress up. He tries to hold back a moan as he soon realizes that I've chosen to go panty less tonight as well.

Two fingers plunge into me and I can't help the loud moan that escapes my mouth. "Peeta!" I breathe out as he starts moving his fingers in and out in the most delicious way imaginable. His front is pressed against my backside and I can feel his erection against my ass. God he knows I love this. This was always the one thing that he would do that got me in the mood. He starts grinding in rhythm with his hand inside me.

"Does he know you like this? Does he know this turns you on more than anything?" He adds another finger.

"Oh God!" I almost can't take it. I'm close and he knows it. He stops. A sound of protest escapes my throat. "Please! Peeta." I'm begging now. He knows I hate to beg.

"You're not answering my questions Katniss," he says. "Does Seneca Crane make you feel as good as I know I'm making you feel now?" he whispers in my ear.

My mind is hazy as I lean back into him. Trying to get the friction back. "NO!" I cry. "He's never touched me and will never touch me the way you do."

Those beautiful fingers of his plunge back into my hot cavern, hotter and faster than before. The sounds that are coming out of my mouth are unintelligible.

"So wet," he whispers.

He finally puts me out of my misery using his thumb to rub the little nub that brings to me to my breaking point. I come undone as he pulls my head back by my hair and crashes his mouth down on mine for the kiss I've been longing for all night. It's filled with desire and hunger, our tongues clash, teeth scrape, but we don't care.

I'm barely coming down from my high when I hear a zipper go down and I'm being turned around to face him. His eyes are almost black with desire. The blue of his eyes completely gone.

_Peeta_

I don't know what's come over me. One minute I'm blinded with rage and the next minute, I'm doing what I told myself I would never do again.

Once she's facing me I lift her up off her feet and her legs instantly wrap around my waist. It doesn't take long before my pants are around my ankles and she's reaching between us to grab my cock and press it to her entrance. I slow down enough to look her in the eye. The lust is apparent that's for sure but behind the lust I see an emotion she's never admitted to having. I close my eyes not wanting to see it. She doesn't get to do that to me.

I grab her waist and slam her down. My eyes practically roll into my head. She's biting her lip so hard I think she might bleed, making the most delicious sounds. I'm rolling my hips as she holds on for dear life. Our lips crash back against each other. I reach up and pull the top of her dress down one shoulder and her breast falls out. Our lips disconnect as I latch on to her breast like a starving man. She throws her head back and hits the wall hard but her moans keep coming.

I know I'm not going to last long. I was already turned on when my fingers were buried inside her and the anger didn't help. I've never had hate sex before but God does it feel good. I'm still very angry and I'm not going to let the lust cloud my head so I pound into her hard. Over and over again. She's grunting and sobbing and screaming like she can't choose which one to go with. I push her harder into the wall. She's not sure what to do with her hands and she finally decides to fist them in my hair. It feels too good. I reach my hand in between us and rub her again to get her off. She outright screams this time and we're lucky there's a ball going on, the music far too loud for anyone to hear or we would surely have been caught. As soon as she comes I let myself go. I come so hard I see stars.

Once we've come back I realized I've slid us down the wall in a sitting position, her sitting on top of me and me still inside her.

I'm still trying to catch my breath when it escapes, "Fuck! That was hot," I say. Katniss chuckles.

_Katniss_

I know he means it. He never curses unless he's in the throes of passion. I've missed him so much. Why I let this man leave my life I don't know? For my selfish reasons I guess. He wanted to go public. I didn't do public. I had to let him go. But I didn't realize that I had actually fallen in love with him until he was gone. I can't take it anymore. I tell him.

"I love you," I say, barely above a whisper.

He stiffens. Shit!

He sighs and I can tell the anger has deflated. He exhales slowly. "Katniss," he starts tiredly. "I can't do this anymore."

My heart stops.

"You have to stop this. You can't keep seeking me out like this. This should never have happened."

I can feel the tears welling up. "Peeta please! I know I screwed up royally. I should never have let you go. I know that now. I know you're with Madge now-"

"I'm not with Madge."

"What?!"

_Peeta_

I sigh. "I'm not with Madge. Her father asked me to accompany her to gatherings. That's it. We're friends."

She looks relieved but at the same time confused. "Then... "

"You don't get it do you," I say as I push her off me and stand, pulling my pants up and righting myself. My anger is coming back. "You broke my heart Katniss. You wrote me off like I was nothing. How can you expect me to forgive you for that?" It pains me to say these things to her but I know I have to.

She stands fixing herself as well, "Peeta I-"

"It's over Katniss. I love you. I do. But…I just can't find it in my heart to forgive you," I can't bear to look at her or I might change my mind.

_Katniss_

I can't breathe. Without even a second glance he leaves the room, shutting the door on me forever.

There's nothing I can do but fall into a heap on the floor.

I fall apart.


End file.
